RexNuts Subaru Forums

Guys,

Got a flat last night, not sure whether to replace the one tyre or go ahead and replace the whole lot at the same time. Got me thinking, what are the best tyres for a daily driver or the tryes that you've had the best experience with in terms of grip, response in the wet, kms driven etc?

I've heard Kuhmo KU31s and KU36s are pretty good, is there anything anyone else would recommend?

Please let me know, as the yellow spacer wheel looks pretty average on the wagon!

Cheers

Im using the KU36's.. they are an awesome tyre for the money too.
Little bit noisy compared to the stock ones i got on the Tuned by Sti rims, i can put up with that!
Turning up the stereo a little bit fixes the noise issue - and you surely dont have any issue with stereo noise making lol!

Haha na the stereo should be right How do they go in the wet mate? I've heard they're a little bit sketchy...

Iv had ku31s on mine for ages.. Awesome wear outta them.. Great in the wet too, minimal noise from them as well
However would have preferred the ku36s looking back on it

Had Ku31's on my RS, and put them on my RA-r's.

They are cheap, have heaps of wet and dry grip, and last ages!
Not a performance orientated tyre, but for a daily, cant go past them!

Ku36's are 'better', but wear faster, and dont have the wet grip of the 31's.

I haven't had any issues in the wet.. I was impressed by them in the wet actually.. but i dont boost around corners, only on the straights :p
My previous tyres i could get wheel spin real easy in the wet.. not at all with these tyres unless i launch it.

Sweet. What's supposed to be the difference between the 31s and the 36s?

36s are a street semi slick essentially with a softer compound.

Does that mean it is more of a performance tyre and will stick to the road a little better? I don't really know much about tyres :S

Yes. It is a softer compound, so when warm, its stickier.

It however has a lower tread rating (how deep the tread is and how long it lasts), meaning they wear out faster.

Ie, as they are designed to work on warm tarmac, they can get cold and hard in the rain, causing them to slide, compared to the KU31 which has deep tread. On a track, deep tread is a disadvantage, so you wouldnt buy ku31's to track your car.

Yeah it is in a way.

http://www.kumho.com.au/passenger.htm

Scroll down and gives you a rough idea.

try googling something like 'difference between ku31 and ku36' and you will get another view of peoples opinions. A lot of it has been mentioned, though. they are a bit how you goin' in the wet but then again these are comments from RWD car owners. I haven't personally had issues in the rain but then again I don't thrash it in the rain as I am not that stupid!

Awesome. Thanks mate. Looks like the 31s are probably the go. With the 36s, would it take much for them to get hard and slide or is it not very likely to happen in our weather? Do you know if they're similar prices?

Why mate?

Depends how you drive. Mike has the KU36 on his car, and doesnt have any issues at 200kw.
You need to drive tamely in the rain though. No traffic light Grand Prix, especially with 250kw!

I would be more so worried about emergency braking situation in the rain.

I'm always pretty careful in the rain anyway. Would it be worth it to get the 36s for better handling in other weather conditions?

On dry tarmac, the 36's are better than the 31's. They are more of a performance tyre.

Think of it like this. KU31 = RE001, KU36 = RE070.

Now, its not quite the same, but the KU31's are a everyday all-rounder with heaps of life, and plenty of wet and dry grip.
The KU36 is a sports tyre, designed for higher speeds, faster corners etc etc. The sacrifice is, with better sports performance, comes worse life, and worse wet grip.
The depth of tread, and an indication on how long the tyres will last between changes, is measured by its "Tread Rating". The KU36 have a tread rating of 180. The KU31 have a tread rating of 380.

Price wise, the 36's are generally $50 more per tyre.

If you enjoy spiritied drives up the twisties in the dry, go the KU36.
If its mainly just going to be a daily drive, with the occasional squirt, go KU31.

The ku36s arn't that much more expensive.. And if I got even half the wear out of them as I did my ku31s I'd b happy
Even though ku36s have less grip in the rain, the ratio of dry days in Sydney to wet days isn't that bad, and I'm sure since you drive careful in the wet and make yourself aware of the tires limits the it wouldn't be a problem